Kenneth Cole Mind Game Boot – $88.09
– $119.00 (depending on size)
Not quite work boots, not quite dress chelseas, and certainly not cowboy boots. Boots that have a (very) slightly pointed or gently rounded off toe can do plenty of work with jeans and sometimes chinos. Maybe not at this time of the year when it’s sweltering in many places, but for 9 or 10 months a boot like the previous edition of the Timberland Earthkeepers 6″ Side Zip can go with the vast majority of casual getups thrown at it.
And Timberland, if you’re reading this, feel free to bring back the previous edition of the side zip any time now.
But what about these? Original price was sniffing up at $200, and now it looks like they’re being discontinued. Instead of moving straight down, the zipper on these dips and slides in parallel with the lines of the lacing panels. Also, instead of just one zipper on the inside like the Timberlands, these have one on either.
Leather sole, made in China, but sports the label from the upper Kenneth Cole New York (not REACTION) line. They’ve got that perfect not-too-slim not-clunky-shape-either to em’, but… the zippers? Mneh?
Leave you take in the comments section below.
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I don’t mind the zippers. They would pretty much disappear under the pant cuff and they’re convenient for quick on/off’s. My issue is the leather soles. Kind of limits the utility of the boot in the wet spring/fall/winter months when it’s most needed, doesn’t it?
I have a pair of Bates paratrooper boots that are similar. You can’t really notice the zipper when it is covered by the pant leg. Mine have a rubber lug sole and Goodyear welt construction so they have held up well. I’d buy these though if I were looking for another pair.
STILL not the boots you’re looking for.
I think you would be better off trying to find a pair of Timberland Earthkeeper’s 6″ sidezip, there are still some out there. Kenneth Cole’s shoe quality is sketchy at best. If $100 is in your “fun boot” budget, I suppose these might be ok, but personally I walk too much to deal with anything from KC.
Not really on the Dappered price radar, but I have been eyeballing the Wolverine 1000 mile and Red Wing Beckman boots. The toe box is rather high on the Wolverines, but that does lead to a boot with more wiggle room. The Redwing 9016 is similar with a shallower toe box, more like the above K.C. Although both are priced around $300, so unless a vendor is doing a 50% off sale they probably won’t appear on this site any time soon.
FYI, I purchased a pair of the Timberland Earthkeepers 6″ sidezips in tan/walnut from Macy’s in-store about 3 weeks ago. They were on sale and with a 25% off coupon, I picked them up for about $70. They are great boots. I wouldn’t size down. I wear size 11 and 10.5’s were too small. The 11’s may look long because of the extended cap toe, but they fit very well and have just enough room in the toe box area.
I happened to see the boots when I was in the store. They didn’t have my size in stock, but they gave me a list of stores that did. I called a NJ store (I live in Chicago) and they shipped them to me free of charge. And I checked on-line and they are not carried on Macys.com.
I prefer a straight lace-up boot myself instead of a zip, but I would probably consider buying these at the current price point. I also really prefer a synthetic versus a leather sole for something I plan on wearing all of the time as opposed to just “dressier” occasions. I walk very heel-heavy and end up trashing the heels on leather soled boots and shoes way too quickly.
i love these boots, I’m going to get another pair. I wear them pretty much everyday unless it’s very rainy or snowy. I almost ruined them by getting them in the winter and wearing them in bad weather when I first got them. I HAVE had to replace the soles pretty quickly, as I live in NYC and walk ALOT. But I added a small dr. sholes to the inside, and got them resoled, and they’ve been on my feet probably 300 days a year, for about 3 years now. And still my favorite. They have them again at the SOHO store, but NOT at this price point :-/ Still… really want another pair.